Messy Family

Do you have a ‘family’ in your genealogy file that doesn’t seem to be correct? That’s my case with the family of James Evans and his wife Sarah (Sally) Garret. James and Sarah were married in 1818. According to the FamilySearch tree and multiple Ancestry trees, they had the following children:

1. Polly Hannah Evans (1805-1851) married Moore McIntosh (1800-1883)
2. Polly Ann Evans (1816-1875) married John Jesse Hubbard (1813-1895) on 21 Sep 1836 in Indiana
3. William Evans (1818-?)
4. Jane B Evans (1820-1886) married William A. Ross (?-?) married 22 Mar 1838 in Warrick County, Indiana
5. Mary Ann (Polly) Evans (1821-1896) married William T. Thompson (1820-1898) married 30 October 1842 in Warrick County, Indiana
6. Rhoda Evans (1823-1893) married Jacob Thompson (1822-1905) married 16 Nov 1844 in Indiana
7. Elizabeth Evans (1825-1856) married Milton Harger (1817-1896)
8. James Evans (1826-1903) married Rhoda Jacks (1826-1907) married Rhoda Jacks on 23 Sep 1846 in Indiana
9. Mary Ann Evans (1826-1911)
10. Isadore Elizabeth Evans (1827-1893) married Thaddeus S. Davis (1813-1905) married 5 May 1862 in Spencer County, Indiana
11. Henry Evans (1827-1909) married Mary Elizabeth Thompson (1834-1917) married 22 Aug 1850 in Wapello County, Iowa
12. Varteli Ann Evans (1830-?) married William Alva Wells (1839-?) married 5 Jan 1865 in Indiana
13. Isaac E Evans (1841-1861)

So why do I think this family is ‘messy’?

• Three daughters going by the nickname of Polly
• Two daughters named Mary but with different birth / death dates
• Two children born before the marriage of the parents
• Eldest son, William, supposedly born in the same year the parents were married

Unfortunately, I have very little ‘proof’ that ties any of this family together. So far, I haven’t found a will, a probate file or even a deed that ties James to any of these children. I haven’t even been able to locate an obituary of one of the children that names siblings.

So what do I have? I have a biography of W. T. Thompson published in the Portrait and Biographical Album of Wapello County, Iowa that identifies his wife’s parents. Unfortunately, she is one of the ‘Polly Evans’.

W. T. Thompson, a prosperous farmer and stock-grower of Richland township, may be found on section 36, following his peaceful pursuits successfully, and enjoying the confidence and esteem of his neighbors. He was born in Ohio County, KY., Dec. 29, 1820, and is a son of John and Sarah (Iglehart) Thompson, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Maryland. At quite an early day the family removed form Kentucky to Indiana, and lived there till 1844, when they came to Wapello County, Iowa, and were thus numbered among the pioneers of this county. Here they lived until 1857, when they moved to Adams County, Iowa, where the father died soon after, the  mother surviving him until February, 1877.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, and on the 30th day of October, 1842, in Warrick County, Ind., was united in  marriage to Miss Polly Ann Evans. Mrs. Thompson was born July 25, 1821, and is the daughter of James and Sarah (Garret) Evans. Her father was a farmer and moved with his family from Indiana to this State, where he remained a short time and then returned to Indiana, where himself and wife subsequently died. In 1847 Mr. Thompson came from Indiana to Wapello County, making the journey with team. On his arrival he bought 120 acres of land of the Government, which comprises his present farm. Of tis eighty acres are under cultivation and he owns thirty-eight acres of wood and pasture land on section 17, Dahlonega township. The home farm is well improved; on it is a tasteful and substantial dwelling, good barn and a fine orchard.
Mr. And Mrs. Thompson are the parents of nine children: Sarah J. Who married N. W. Bliles, is now a widow, living in Kansas; John E. Married Miss Mary Dunn, and lived in Adams County, Iowa; he was a member of the 29th Iowa Infantry, and served until the close of the war; William F. Married Miss Loisa Falkner, and is living in Wapello County; Martha is the wife of c. C. Ingersoll, and lives in Republic County, Kan.; Julia is deceased; Ellen is the wife of J. F. Gowdy, living in Cass County, Iowa; Polly Ann, Mrs. Albert D. Rickett, is living in Keokuk County, Iowa; Belle is the wife of Lewis N. Gowdy, of this county; Arsena is living at home with her parents. Politically Mr. Thompson is a Republican.

I also have Ancestry DNA ThruLines matches not only for myself but for my two brothers and my mother.

JAMES EVANS ThruLines

Descendant Line	Evans Matches to me	Evans Matches Brother1	Evans Matches Brother 2	Evans Matches Mom
Polly McIntosh
Mary Polly Hubbard	1	1	1	1
William Evans
Jane Ross	3	3	3	5
Polly Thompson (my line)	9	14	14	13
Rhoda Thompson
Elizabeth Harger
James Evans			1	1
Mary Ann Evans (spouse unknown)
Isadore Elizabeth Davis
Henry Evans	1	2	10	15
Varteli (Vashti) Ann Wells
Isaac Evans
Anderson Evans (1822-1900)		1		1
Nancy Brewster			2	2
Sarah Ann Evans Martin (1829-1908)

SARAH GARRET ThruLines

Descendant Line	Garret Matches to Me	Garret Matches to Brother1	Garret Matches to Brother 2	Garret Matches to Mom
Polly McIntosh		1
Mary Polly Hubbard	1	1	1	1
William Evans
Polly Thompson (my line)	0	14	14	13
Rhoda Thompson
Elizabeth Harger
Mary Ann Evans (spouse unknown)
Isadore Elizabeth Davis
Henry Evans	1	1	9	14
Varteli (Vashti) Ann Wells
Isaac Evans
Anderson Evans (1822-1900)		1
Nancy Brewster			2	2
Sarah Ann Evans Martin		2	3	4

While the DNA results might support these matches descending from James and Sarah (Garret) Evans, they alone do not prove that our common ancestral couple is James and Sarah Evans. Since my tree is heavily colonial, it is possible that a common ancestor is on a different line. Those who match my mother and myself or one of my siblings at least support our common ancestor being on my maternal line.

So, what are my next steps?

• Continue searching for documents that either identify the children of James and Sarah or identify siblings of one of the children.
• Figure out who Anderson Evans, Nancy Evans Brewster and Sarah Evans Martin are and how else we might connect.
• Color code these matches for my brothers and my mothers. (I have finished color coding my matches)
• Place notes on the FamilySearch tree seeking proof of the family structure
• Contact DNA matches and people working FamilySearch tree asking if they have anything supporting family structure.